Comment from an evangelical presbyterian perspective and an orthodox confessionally reformed outlook.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

The Clock is Ticking

Time for evangelicals within the Church of Scotland to reconsider their options. Some, of course, will never leave, believing that it would be schism to unite with other evangelical presbyterians in, say, the Free Church of Scotland, but that continued fellowship with moral apostates within the national church is morally preferable.

The Church of
Scotland is moving closer to ending its historic opposition to people in
same-sex relationships becoming ministers.

Figures obtained
by the Press and Journal show that 21 of the Kirk’s 46 presbyteries have so far
voted in favour of a controversial policy that would give congregations the
freedom to appoint a gay man or woman if they wished.

This means the
so-called “mixed economy” proposal would need the support of only three more
presbyteries before it could be referred to the General Assembly, which has the
ultimate say over whether it should become Kirk law. Under the plans,
the Church would retain the traditional position – a ban on gay people in
relationships becoming ministers – as its default stance. But congregations
could opt in to a policy to appoint a minister in a same-sex relationship under
a “conscience clause”.

The proposal is
aimed at ensuring both sides of the debate are accommodated within the legal
framework of the Kirk.

A total of 10
presbyteries, made up of ministers, elders and deacons, have rejected the
proposal so far and 15 have yet to make a decision. It has been
backed by presbyteries in Aberdeen, Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Sutherland,
Abernethy, Gordon, Kincardine and Deeside, Argyll and Glasgow.

Members of the
Buchan, Lochaber, Lochcarron and Skye, Uist and Lewis presbyteries have
rejected it.

The debate over
the issue was triggered by the appointment of the Rev Scott Rennie to Queen’s
Cross Church in Aberdeen in 2009 – a decision that resulted in some people
leaving the Kirk because they believe the Bible teaches Christians that gay sex
is wrong.

The Rev John
Mann, of pro-gay rights Kirk group Affirmation Scotland, said he was “very
encouraged” by the direction of travel within the Church. The group has
decided to support the proposal despite the fact that it “still enshrines
inequality and discriminatory treatment for lesbian and gay people in the
church”.

Mr Mann said: “Although
this proposal is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction and it allows
people the freedom of their own conscience. We are praying
for a time when the Church and other denominations affirm people in same-sex
relationships and celebrate love between two people as a gift from God. We will keep
working towards full equality in the Kirk. That is our mission.”

Evangelical Kirk
group Forward Together, which has a membership of about 70 ministers and
elders, said it would be difficult to predict what the future held until all
presbyteries had voted.

Acting director
the Rev Douglas Cranston claimed the vote in many presbyteries had been close,
which meant that “any hope that this will heal divisions is forlorn. There will be a
reaction in response to this,. We have been able to hold on to
people for the time being but if are going to have this affirmation I think
there will be a steady drift away from the national Church.”

The Kirk has
around 800 ministers serving nearly 1,400 congregations and only 18 have left
in recent years for a variety of reasons, leaving most congregation members
behind.

Former
Lochcarron, Applecross and Torridon parish minister the Rev David Macleod and
the Rev Roddy MacRae, who led congregations in Glenelg and Kintail, recently
quit the Kirk and joined the Free Church of Scotland. The Rev Dominic
Smart and members of Gilcomston South Church of Scotland in Aberdeen left the
Kirk in March last year.

But Mr Mann
played down the impact of the vote.

“The threatened
mass exodus has not happened,” he said. “It has been a trickle. I think people
who are unhappy will just stick together and feel as they always have – the
Church has lost touch with their values.”

It is understood
that the presbytery of Dumfries is expected to vote on the issue tonight and
Lothian tomorrow.

A Church of
Scotland spokesman said: “The vote is under way and presbyteries have until
December 30 to submit their returns. Those
presbyteries who have yet to decide will be doing so in the coming weeks, and
each presbytery will be debating and voting according to their own individual
points of view. The outcome of
the vote will be known in the new year.”

About Me

With degrees in both philosophy and theology, I have lived and worked in the UK, West Africa (working in theological education) and the USA. As a Teaching Elder I served for 19 years in the Church of Scotland and 4 years in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (USA). I am a minister of the Free Church of Scotland, and a member in St Andrews Free Church, Fife.

I am married to my wonderful wife Aileen, who has supported and moulded me over 40 years of marriage - an ongoing project that may yet pay dividends, although it requires great patience on her part.